F1 Most liked posts in thread: F1 - 2013

ScottinBend · Jan 29, 2013

Now that's frikkin' funny!

Steve · Jan 29, 2013

Launch seasonâ€™s changed focus (uk.eurosport.yahoo.com)

By Eurosport | Will Gray

The days of launching a new car with a circus act or a star-studded rock concert and long gone â€“ so with most teams now focused on simply hitting the track running whatâ€™s it take to get it right on roll-out?

In the big money days of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the money and time spent on lavish and opulent car launch displays was, quite frankly ridiculous (albeit extremely enjoyable for those invited to attend!). Each team tried to outdo the other, with perhaps the most spectacular efforts coming from McLaren, who rolled in the Spice Girls on one occasion, and Jordan, who lowered their car from the ceiling of the Albert Hall as part of a 30-minute performance by Cirque du Soleil.

This year, the first launch â€“ by Lotus â€“ was simply broadcast over the internet on Monday. McLaren will then reveal their car on Thursday, Ferrari, Force India and Sauber over the weekend, Red Bull next Monday and Mercedes and Toro Rosso the day before the first test.

In what is perhaps the most condensed period of car launches ever, only Williams will delay their unveiling, rolling out just in time for second test on February 19.

To hit those launch day targets, the meticulous planning started many, many months ago.

Just like any critical path business, teams have a timeline for design and development â€“ but in this case it has both moving and fixed lines.

Items like the chassis, which must be homologated and cannot be changed during the season, are a useful pinpoint in the calendar. Their design completion must be planned to allow for full construction in time for crash tests to be performed and passed, with contingency for failure.

Teams try to develop their designs to have the structure to pass the tests but still be as low weight as possible â€“ and itâ€™s a fine balance between getting it right and having a costly delay that can cost a team weeks of crucial build and development time.

The chassis is usually completed some time before Christmas and the car is then built along a central spine â€“ the Sauber cut-away video released last year demonstrated this exceptionally well.

Teams will build the core of the car starting with chassis and gearbox and moving on to fuel systems and wiring before adding the bolt-on parts like floors, sidepods, wings and suspension right at the end of the process.

And it is mostly those bolt-on parts that are the moving part of the timeline â€“ as they can be changed multiple times between the launch version and the car used in the first race.

Sidepod designs used to be fixed for a season but modern design and manufacturing mean they can now be changed far more often, as can the floors and diffusers (which are produced together as one piece) while smaller parts can be changed week-in, week-out.

And as there is such a limited amount of opportunity for testing during the season, failing to launch the new car before the first test can result in a major loss in development.

The old lavish launches were always a pain for the technical teams as while it was satisfying to see their new machines being swooned over by the worldâ€™s media, the engineers were always champing at the bit to get the car out of the theatre and onto the test track.

There was once a plan to get all the teams together for a group launch to give them all the chance to be part of a spectacular show on a more reasonable budget. Originally mooted for Valencia â€“ so teams could go straight into testing â€“ it would have given F1 the chance to have a focused launch day for each new season but it never happened because the timing was hard to agree.

Instead, after a series of relatively fanfare-free unveilings, the fireworks will now begin on the first day of testing.
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Nathan · Jan 29, 2013

Steve said: ↑

This must be Kimi's wheel...

Not easy to read it all at this scale. Bottom labels are "OPEN GATE" and "TRANSLATE (ANTI-MUMBLE)"
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I hear the Grosjean version has an "Anti-Contact" button

Steve · Jan 29, 2013

If this goes through at all, which I'd guess is doubtful, seems like odd timing given they'll almost certainly have to wait until 2014 which is a transformative year with the V-6 turbos, etc.

HRT F1 entry and assets being pursued by new Scorpion Racing (AutoSport.com)

By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, January 29th 2013, 14:20 GMT

A group of Canadian and American investors are pushing to try and secure HRT's entry slot in Formula 1, AUTOSPORT can reveal, but they may have to wait until 2014 before being allowed to join the grid.

Sources have revealed that negotiations to purchase the HRT company and secure an entry are at an advanced stage, and the plan for a team known as Scorpion Racing appears to have the blessing of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

However, AUTOSPORT understands that the FIA believes the 12th entry slot for 2013 was closed off when it was informed at the end of last season that HRT had been liquidated.

Although the governing body is aware of the plans for Scorpion Racing, it does not appear to have any intention of making a special case to allow another team in for 2013 because the entry deadline closed last November.

The investors behind Scorpion Racing are hoping to complete due diligence of the buy-out plans in the next few days.

That means the viability of their plans should become clearer by the end of the week.

Scorpion is hoping to run its effort from a facility at Silverstone, using updated HRT F112 cars that will be powered by Cosworth engines and use a Williams gearbox.

AUTOSPORT has learned that discussions have taken place with Ecclestone about the idea, and he indicated to the outfit in a letter last weekend that if its takeover of the HRT assets was complete then it should get an entry to F1.

Ecclestone wrote to the Scorpion Racing investors saying: "Have you bought the HRT company? Because if you have, they [the FIA] would be accepting you."

It is not clear if there is any mechanism for Scorpion to secure a place on the grid if it can convince the FIA that it has the funding and technical capability to compete in 2013.
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Steve · Jan 30, 2013

Scorpion Racing bid 'too late' for 2013 (GPUpdate.net)

30 January 2013

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has played down the chances of a new HRT takeover bid gaining an entry for 2013 campaign, with the 82-year-old stating that the plans have come too long after the registration cut-off point to be viable.

It has emerged that a group of American and Canadian investors are attempting to acquire the cars and equipment used by the defunct HRT outfit in 2012, before entering the sport under the name of Scorpion Racing. However, Ecclestone says the proposed team is better off delaying its Formula 1 birth until the 2014 campaign.

"I've spoken to them (Scorpion Racing) and told them to get in touch with the FIA and ask for an entry," Ecclestone told to the Press Association. "They want to buy all the bits from HRT, then form a company and ask for an entry, but I personally don't think it will happen. It's all a bit too late. Maybe they could do it for next year."

According to Autosport, Scorpion Racing is evaluating a Silverstone base, instead of taking over the former HRT premises at the Caja Magica in the city of Madrid.
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minimark · Jan 30, 2013

Attempting to buy out a failed F1 team, "past" minute and rush to compete this season, sounds like a great way to spend a lot of money with little return.... Bernie's advice seems sound... F1 is a monumental task even for the most prepared.

They should spend this year getting ready for 2014 when the cars will be completely different too.:crazy:

mrntd · Jan 31, 2013

^^^^I agree. Save some money and do it right

mrntd · Jan 31, 2013

Nothing too exciting about the new McLaren. Pretty much the same nose as last year. Slightly revised exhaust. But pull rod suspension front and rear.

Steve · Jan 31, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmfFjUIbczw]Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-28 car reveal LIVE - Highlights - YouTube[/ame]

Nathan · Jan 31, 2013

How did McLaren get all those Stig's?

And how did they keep him so tame when driving in the building?

ScottinBend · Jan 31, 2013

:biggrin5:

Steve · Jan 31, 2013

You can't see them well from these limited studio shots but I think there are some small bumps on the top near the nose area of the McLaren as well, like the Lotus but not asymmetric.

Steve · Jan 31, 2013

It's been noted that the Pirellis weren't all perfectly aligned at the unveiling!

The horror!!!

Steve · Jan 31, 2013

Nurburgring secures deal to host 2013 German GP (AutoSport.com)

Thursday, January 31st 2013, 10:10 GMT

A deal has been agreed for the Nurburgring to host the 2013 German Grand Prix, according to Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The future of the event had been in doubt for several months as financial difficulties threatened the Nurburgring ability to host a grand prix.

Ecclestone said on Monday that talks had 'regrettably' broken down because terms being offered by the track were 'not financially acceptable'.

Ecclestone has however confirmed to Reuters that a deal has been agreed and that a race will take place on July 7.

"I treasure the Nurburgring and its history," Ecclestone said in a statement on Thursday.

"In view of its long tradition, I was glad to support choosing the Nurburgring as the venue for the Formula 1."

The deal means 19 races have been confirmed for the 2013 calendar.

The vacant July 21 slot is yet to be filled, despite reported interest from Turkey, Austria and Portugal.

2013 Formula 1 calendar

17/03 Australian Grand Prix
24/03 Malaysian Grand Prix
14/04 Chinese Grand Prix
21/04 Bahrain Grand Prix
12/05 Spanish Grand Prix
26/05 Monaco Grand Prix
09/06 Canadian Grand Prix
30/06 British Grand Prix
07/07 German Grand Prix
21/07 TBA
28/07 Hungarian Grand Prix
25/08 Belgian Grand Prix
08/09 Italian Grand Prix
22/09 Singapore Grand Prix
06/10 Korean Grand Prix
13/10 Japanese Grand Prix
27/10 Indian Grand Prix
03/11 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
17/11 United States Grand Prix
24/11 Brazilian Grand Prix
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Steve · Jan 31, 2013

mrntd said: ↑

... Pretty much the same nose as last year. ...
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The nose looks similar but according to Noble they followed suit with the other teams this year in raising the bulkhead and they got the smooth looking nose back by using the new "vanity panel."

Analysis: Why evolution was no option for McLaren (AutoSport.com)

By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, January 31st 2013, 17:36 GMT

McLaren may have raised some eyebrows with the step change in its car design for this season, but technical chiefs are adamant it was an essential move if it is to gun for Formula 1 title glory this year.

With the rules not changing dramatically for 2013, and teams already devoting much resource to the radical 2014 overhaul, it had been widely expected that the new cars would be mere evolutions of last year's designs.

McLaren has gone much further than that, however. It was reworked its concept in a wide range of areas, including switching to pull-rod suspension, increasing the height of its chassis so it now needs a 'vanity' panel' for a stepped nose, and being ultra-aggressive with the bodywork around the rear.

Although such work may be a bold move with 2014 on the horizon, the team has said that such an effort was vital if the team was to be able to keep up a good enough development rate throughout the forthcoming campaign.

When asked by AUTOSPORT about the thinking behind such an aggressive push with its car, McLaren engineering director Tim Goss said that there was a fear last year's MP4-27 concept was reaching a development ceiling.

"We looked at our performance during last season, in the stages where we were laying down the foundations of this car, and looked at where we thought we would get to in terms of our development rate if we just kept continuing with developing the same car," he said. "We realised we actually needed to make a larger step.

"So in defining the architecture of this car, the philosophy was very much to give ourselves the scope to further exploit the area of the cars that we knew would generate performance.

"We understand how to get the most out of these rules, and we demonstrated that last season under these rules with the quickest car at the beginning of the year and the end of the year.

"But, we decided that we need to give ourselves a bit more freedom and, as a result of that, we have reworked the car from front to back. That has allowed us that bit more freedom to push the areas of the car that we know respond."

Pull-rod front suspension

One of the boldest departures for McLaren is in switching from a push-rod to pull-rod layout with its front suspension, a route that Ferrari went down last season.

Goss insisted that its change was not simply the result of it copying Ferrari's lead, but of doing a lot of work into evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of such a design.

"What convinced us was actually a lot of research," he said. "When you see something new on a car, you always think, why have they done that?

"In F1, it is possible to copy someone else's concept, but invariably they don't work. What you have to do is get a fundamental understanding of why.

"So we looked at it and initially we thought exactly that - why? But after some time and some work we understood how it could benefit our car and certainly what we are trying to achieve with the car.

"We found benefits in terms of aerodynamics, which overcome the kinematic and structural negatives of doing more extreme anhedral suspension."

Exhaust concept

One area where McLaren has stuck to its guns, however, is in its exhaust concept, which is a different solution to the Red Bull style.

This year, McLaren has pushed things much further, dramatically cutting away the bodywork at the rear of the car to try and optimise airflow for both car performance and exhausts.

"It is playing the tunes on the aerodynamics," said Goss. "While trying to achieve one thing with the exhaust, you have to make sure when the exhaust gases are not flowing that the rear end of the car is still performing properly.

"So we have pushed things further. That is our philosophy on this car - to take the things where we know the car responds, push them further and make them more extreme. For us, it was a natural evolution of last year."
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Zapski · Jan 31, 2013

I wonder if the vanity panel will come off to save those few grams later in the season.

minimark · Feb 1, 2013

Alonso's new horse!!

mrntd · Feb 1, 2013

The new Ferrari looks interesting. The nose has to have the plate on it. The front wing has some interesting vents. The outside edges of the floor in the center of the car are curled up to pull in the air flow.

It has the fins on the lower inside of the front wheels and ductless brakes. They have really refined the exhaust shape to curl the flow down. It would be interesting to see the back end.

Zapski · Feb 1, 2013

Video - has some back end shots but you'll have to pause it right quick to catch them.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ZQaa1ENoM&feature=player_embedded]Ferrari F138 photoshoot video - YouTube[/ame]

Zapski · Feb 1, 2013

Force India also unveiled their car today, but not their second driver yet.

Sahara Force India - News - Sahara Force India unveils the VJM06 at Silverstone

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